Pining for Jericho, woman calls for Succot pilgrimage

Settler Erna Kobos says the time has come for Jews to return to their holy sites in the city.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
jericho 88 (photo credit: )
jericho 88
(photo credit: )
After seeing Jericho almost daily in the 1990s, settler Erna Kobos has managed to visit Jericho several times in the last three years because army restrictions have barred her, as well as most Jews, from entering the city, which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority. So it is with a voice that trembles with emotion that she speaks of a plan she has for next Sunday morning, in which Kobos is calling on all Jews who love Jericho to visit it with her in honor of the Succot holiday. Kobos lives only a short distance away from Jericho in the direction of the Dead Sea at an outpost called Beit Hogla. During the 1990s, Kobos worked at Yeshivat Yericho, which stood in the city until it was burned down at the start of the second intifada in 2000. Since then, the army has severely restricted Jewish visitation to the city. It relaxed those restrictions briefly three years ago, when for half a year, it allowed Jews entry once a week. Kobos, who moved from the settlement of Ofra to Beit Hogla just to be close to Jericho, told The Jerusalem Post that the time had come for Jews to return to their holy sites in that city. These sites include the ruins of two ancient synagogues with mosaic floors, as well as the remains of the ancient city that Joshua conquered when he and the Israelites first entered the land after wandering for 40 years in the desert. "Arabs can visit their holy sites throughout the land, and so should we," said Kobos. "Jews have nothing to fear. There is no reason why they can not visit the city." On Sunday, she hopes to go with a group of Jewish visitors to Tel Yericho, located in the center of modern-day Jericho. She plans to walk around the archeological site, in honor of Succot, and to then to leave. She has been distributing flyers that she created, asking people who feel strongly about Jericho to join her. But according to the IDF and the Civil Administration, permits are needed for Israelis who want to enter the city, and visits to tourist sites there by Israelis are not advisable. Kobos said she had not sought a permit to enter because she was of the opinion that she would not need one. Hagai Ben-Artzi, a lecturer of Biblical studies from Bar-lan University who has joined Kobos for some of her other activities - such as the one she does on Pessah, in which she leads a group on a walk outside Jericho's borders - said he agreed with her. The time had come to remind Jews of their heritage in Jericho, which, he said, also had remnants of castles from the time of the Hasmoneans. He approves of the planned trip, even though he himself is not sure he can go. According to the Oslo Accords, Jews were to be given access to those sites - an edict that has been overlooked by the army for the last eight years, he said. Most Israelis remember the casinos when they think of Jericho, but they have forgotten how much of their ancient history can also be found in that city, Ben-Artzi said.